From 10m (where VK stations calling CQ during our early evening were shown by RBN being received in Europe) to 40m where signals from USA and other regions were stronger than ever but ALSO amazingly even at 10pm short-skip between VK stations certainly on the East Coast was there with S9 signals where usually there would be a dead zone, while at the same time DX was booming through. VK2CCW-VK2MZ-VK2BJT-VK5EEE had a multi-CW QSO with 599 reports all around, and I also received 579-599 reports in USA from my dipole only 4m off the ground. Geomagnetic conditions were very quiet with 24hr planetary A index only 4 and K index 1. Solar flux was 123.

Yes last night was certainly great for local and DX stations. It's a shame though nobody really gave the Bash a good go. Lou and myself started calling on 7050 but with no response after 20 minutes or so, we decided to start chasing DX on the lower part of the band with to US stations contacted, great night. After that Ian VK2BJT came on and Lou, myself and Ian QSY'd, up to 7051 for QSO and also Rob VK2MZ joined us as well. Great night all round.

I read on a Facebook amateur radio group 10m was booming in to Sydney 9:41pm Monday night. The CB groups were also jumping for joy so looks like conditions are hotting up. Hope it stays that way.

Got me thinking, is there much cw activity on 10m? I often practice on 10m and have never heard any cw apart from the rare beacon ident. I'll start sending a few cq on 28.050, never know who may show up?

I believe in the old days 28050 was CW calling frequency, SSB 28500 and FM 29600. There may have been some recent sparadic E on 10m here in VK. 10m is a largely unused and forgotten band, so there needs to be more done to make it active. The F-license in Australia if it had been restricted to 10m and 80m, and with a higher grade for Operating Procedures and some CW in order to get a New Novice license for 40m and 15m, would have been better. Thailand has quarter million VHF-only licenses (CW must still be able to be received in a test to get HF) who have now been granted, rightfully, access to 10m since after all 10m most of the time behaves like a VHF band. They have to pass a simple test of ability to operate appropriate equipment, and finding volunteers for the test cuts down the number drastically, and not speaking English and without CW sending nor wish, likely makes it moot for us.

Wow, goes to show the paths are opening up, just got get some RF in the air. Thanks for the feedback on the RBN Lou, I wasn't monitoring this morning. I crossed to the other side (Hi Hi) and sent a few SSB cq and also made a local contact who was mobile at the time.

Look like I'll have to whip up a 5/8 wave vertical using the squid pole to see if that helps a bit more.

Yes, for me I used to enjoy all on 10m when I was in Europe, I was also on 10 FM and sometimes SSB. Other bands almost exclusively CW, well, exclusively CW when I had an old big boat anchor TX the DX-100U, then when I had the IC-735 I also got into some Pactor. The developers of Pactor were QRQ CW operators, at least some, perhaps all of them. Be interesting to see if you get any results on 10m!